Ventress and the Teddy Bears
by Rookie Cookie Baked Crispy
Summary: Ventress,a broken acolyte,escapes both Dooku & the Republic & finds refuge on Endor.But she must undertake a dangerous mission with Jar Jar Binks & Ewoks to foil a nefarious Separatist plot,& save the Jedi Order she swore to destroy.She will discover odd friendships,an unconventional family,& the meaning of redemption as she helps save the galaxy.& how will Ob-Wan handle all this?
1. Pilot

A/N: I cannot, for the life of me, figure out why everybody hates Jar Jar Binks. I saw The Phantom Menace when I was a kid, and I remember my favorite character being Jar Jar. He was the only character I could relate to (funny and outlandish) and I wished everyone would cut him a little slack. He brought me great childhood memories, so I'm gonna write him in here. Please review, and no hating on Jar Jar! Thanks and Enjoy.- Rookie Cookie Baked Crispy

She had been loyal. She had been strong. She had sacrificed a great deal for him. But none of this meant anything to Count Dooku. As he'd said, she had failed him for the last time. There would be no more chances to prove herself. She would die, unworthy and undeserving of proper burial. When he told her this, Asajj Ventress felt the old, familiar sting of betrayal. Although she harbored no emotional attachment to her Sith master, it still hurt deeply to be abandoned, left to die alone. It happened far too often to the assassin.

When Dooku' s transmission cut out, Ventress cast her eyes around the small ship, desperately searching for an escape. 'That's right,' a voice sneered in her mind. 'Run away, little witch. It's all you're good for.'

Ventress shook her head, trying to quell the dark thoughts encroaching on her mind. The small ship was junked, but it still had one hyperspace jump left in it. She put in the coordinates for the Endor system, closed her eyes, hit the jump lever, and allowed herself to slip into a Sith trance.

When she awoke, convinced she would find herself in the unending vacuum of space, suffocating, she nearly screamed. The vast mural of stars spun overhead, but she was not in the thick of it. She was flat on her back, in the middle of what appeared to be an old forest. But her barely- stifled scream was not out of relief. A mere inch from her face was one of the ugliest faces she'd ever seen. A Gungan was examining her face, it's yellow eyes popping almost comically as it took in her battered visage. Dimly, she recognized him as Senator Binks, the representative of the Gungans of Naboo. What was he doing on Endor? Instead of screaming, she snarled at him, and the gangly thing scrambled back clumsily. Ventress sat up and looked around quickly. Her ship had crashed through the canopy above, leaving a gaping hole, and the smoking wreckage singed the foliage in a small crater it had created.

The cockpit was open, which meant that Binks had pulled her out.

She stood slowly, testing her legs to make sure nothing was broken. Then she looked at the googly- eyed Gungan.

"What are you doing here?" she asked bluntly.

"Uh… Meesa gotten a call from da Endorian Embassy; deysa wantin' to make an alliance with da Republic. My was supposed to be meetin' dem at an outpost." At this point, he grinned sheepishly. "But, uh, mysa ship had a teensy problemo, and POW! Mysa ship was crashin into da outpost!"

Ventress almost felt sorry for him. The idiot didn't even realize how narrowly he'd escaped death. "There is no Endorian Embassy, Senator Binks. You were lured into a trap. Someone tried to capture or kill you. Endor has no cohesive government." Deep down, she was amazed. The Gungan' s clumsiness had probably saved his life. "So your ship is totaled?"

Jar Jar nodded. Ventress sighed. This was going to be a long night…

As she'd expected, Binks followed her, talking a mile a minute in that ridiculous pigeon Gungan. Seriously, she could barely understand him. They trekked through the underbrush together, the Dathomirian and Gungan, both stranded on Endor. Amidst all his babbling, one thing stood apart.

"Master Kenobi was lookin' for yousa after da battle."

"What?" Ventress asked.

"Obi- wan was lookin' for yousa," Jar Jar repeated. He looked at her cautiously. "He was thinkin' yousa made it out ok. He wasn't believin' da reports on you dying."

A small crackling noise, nearly imperceptible, made her whip out her sabers. "Quiet," she commanded. Surprisingly, Binks complied, crouching slightly behind her. Those ridiculous eyes swiveled around, 360 degrees, and Ventress didn't think they were so ridiculous anymore. Small, glittering eyes peered at them through the brush, and Ventress tilted her head slightly. "What have we here?" she asked the eyes softly, lowering her unignited saber hilts. "An Ewok, maybe?"

As the sun peeked over the trees, Ventress could make out it's small, furry body, crouching in the bushes, a spear in its hands. She didn't want to hurt it. It had done nothing to her, and it reminded her of an overgrown teddy bear. Suddenly, she became aware of more than a dozen presences through the Force. They were surrounded. This was probably going to be the strangest day of her life.

A/N: Short, I know, but this was a spur of the moment idea. No flames, please! Review, if you'd be so kind. I'd really appreciate constructive criticism. I have no idea when I'll post a second chapter. Between you and me, I'm still trying to figure out **how **to post a second chapter. :) Cheers!


	2. Broken wing

**A/N: So I noticed that some people favorited both of my stories! (Happy dance in progress.) Thanks, Ursa Cassiopeia Lestrange! And the same to you, Capri, if you're reading this! I'm glad you liked my first oneshot(I fixed the rating. Thanks for the heads up. Two in the morning, remember?), and I would be willing to turn it into a story if you could give me any ideas on how to continue it. Thanks to FalconYT1300 and jitzu for favoriting "Save Me"! It means a lot, guys. You have given this fledgling author hope! And special thanks to Brightknight for favoriting AND reviewing both of my stories! You rock! I promise this chapter will be longer and better, and hopefully, I won't completely embarrass myself. Here we go!**

* * *

Ventress had always been surrounded by turmoil, pain, and death, and she had believed that was all the galaxy really held. How wrong she'd been. There was irritation, infuriation, and exasperation. Senator Binks was driving her absolutely bonkers, what with his constant talking and clumsiness. He was always fretting, always worrying about something. Even worse, he was inquisitive to a fault; more than once, Ventress had to rescue the Gungan from danger, which he always brought upon himself. 'If he's so cowardly,' Ventress thought irritably. 'why is he so kriffing curious?!' Of course, this frustration was self- inflicted. She could simply abandon the bumbling fool, and save herself the trouble. But somehow, she couldn't bring herself to do it. The awkward creature needed her, and this had a strong effect on her. She'd been abandoned more times than she'd cared to count, left to fend for herself in a cold, cruel galaxy. She knew the pain it inflicted, and could not bring herself to do such a thing to another being.

So it was with great botheration that the former Sith apprentice took the Republic senator under her broken wing. They had made careful acquaintance with the Ewoks, and Ventress couldn't help but admire the fearlessness with which they defended their tribe. They hadn't liked her much at first, and seemed less than willing to help them, but Jar Jar then proved useful. He was, by nature, friendly and easy to get along with, and the Ewoks accepted him readily enough, and he'd insisted that any hospitality he received be extended to Ventress, as well. For all his capriciousness, he had all the best intentions. Ventress had never met someone that so easily overlooked her faults and crimes, or showed unconditional concern for her. Even Master Ky had been quick to cite her foibles. Binks didn't seem to mind that he'd fallen in with an assassin and former Separatist general. Ventress wondered if anyone else in the Senate realized how valuable his innocent, compassionate nature was. Most politicians she knew of were selfish and ignorant, but Binks rarely complained about personal discomforts, often asking if she were alright instead. His compassion and honest concern for others was a rare thing, and even though Ventress couldn't quite fathom it herself, she knew such things were key to the defeat of the Separatists.

Ventress had grown accustomed to life with over- sized teddy bears spilling out of every nook and cranny. They'd been wary of her at first, but over a few days, they had overcome their initial suspiciousness, and the younger ones had taken to playing around her. How they knew they'd be safe there was beyond her. She doubted they knew how powerful a Dathomirian female's maternal instinct could be.

One Ewok toddler in particular took a strong propensity to her, a runt by the name of Carrok. Scruffy black fur and big brown eyes were his defining features. He was often ignored by the bigger, lighter- colored Ewok children, and Ventress soon discovered that he was an orphan. The scrawny little thing followed her everywhere, never getting in her way, but never letting her out of his sight, either. Her maternal instinct was slowly stirring, and she couldn't help but try to look after little Carrok. The Ewoks didn't seem to mind the odd bond they shared, and didn't protest when she took him in.

Ventress stayed in the Ewok village until she healed from the wounds of the battle. Once she'd recovered, she took Jar Jar and Carrok out into the forest to find Binks' crashed ship, in hopes of finding his radio intact. In truth, she was more concerned with getting the senator off- planet. She didn't fancy running into Republic officials, but she couldn't sit around and wait for them to find her. If she could convince Jar Jar to keep quiet about her survival and get him home, she would be safe. She'd never contemplated living as a hermit, but the idea held appeal; no Separatists, no Republic, no Sith, no Jedi… just her and Carrok. No more pain or confusion.

Her luck had apparently changed; while investigating the crash site, they discovered a working homing beacon.

"Senator Binks, while I enjoyed our time together," Ventress said. "I must ask you to…omit my involvement with your visit."

Jar Jar turned his big yellow eyes to her. "But yousa was needed! Yousa saved me!"

"Yes, but I very much doubt that will exonerate me of my crimes. I need you to keep my survival secret, Senator. I .. I don't want to be found."

Jar Jar stared at her for a moment, and the look in his eyes told Ventress that he wasn't nearly as ignorant as many made him out to be. Slowly, he nodded. "Meesa understand, Miss Ventress. Good luck, then." He looked sad.

She turned the beacon on and slipped away with Carrok while Jar Jar settled in to wait. Ventress decided not to return to the Ewok village, and Carrok followed her without question, which was unsurprising, since he never spoke. They traipsed through the unending forest in silent companionship, Ventress leading the way. They carried on until it grew dark, then made camp in one of the mammoth trees.

They had almost fallen asleep when Ventress heard something crashing through the dark forest. Only one creature could cause that kind of racket. Ventress peered over the edge of the broad branch to see none other than Jar Jar Binks, stumbling along the forest floor. She had to suppress a surge of anger. What the kriff was he doing here?! Endor was close to a Republic controlled station. If they started a search for Binks, they would surely catch her!

"What are you doing here?!" Ventress hissed angrily. Binks' googly eyes bent back to look up at her, and a huge, silly grin of relief spread over his face.

"Miss Ventress! Da Ewok village is bein' attacked!"

* * *

A/N: Fear not, dear readers. Kenobi is coming!


End file.
